Study Finds In-Person Voter Fraud Is Rare (Video)

Posted on Aug 17, 2012

richiec (CC BY-SA 2.0)

An analysis of more than 2,000 alleged voter fraud cases over the last decade shows that the occurrence of such fraud is infinitesimal and that in-person voter impersonation is virtually nonexistent. But 37 state legislatures have enacted or are considering tough voter ID laws in the run-up to the 2012 election. Why?

As has already been reported, Republicans are counting on such measures to help presidential candidate Mitt Romney win the election.

Hear Pennsylvania House Republican leader Mike Turzai say as much in the “Democracy Now!” segment below. Then listen to voter advocate Nicole Austin-Hillery, director of the Washington office of the Brennan Center for Justice, expand on the issue.

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

News 21 at MinnPost:

In an exhaustive public records search, News21 reporters sent thousands of requests to elections officers in all 50 states, asking for every case of fraudulent activity, including registration fraud, absentee ballot fraud, vote buying, false election counts, campaign fraud, casting an ineligible vote, voting twice, voter impersonation fraud and intimidation.

… Analysis of the resulting comprehensive News21 election fraud database turned up 10 cases of voter impersonation. With 146 million registered voters in the United States during that time, those 10 cases represent one out of about every 15 million prospective voters.

… “Voter fraud at the polls is an insignificant aspect of American elections,” said elections expert David Schultz, professor of public policy at Hamline University School of Business in St. Paul.

“There is absolutely no evidence that [voter impersonation fraud] has affected the outcome of any election in the United States, at least any recent election in the United States,” Schultz said.

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“Democracy Now”!:

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